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Friday, November 11, 2011

Friday Fence-Helipad

One of our local hospitals has been remodeling and building a trauma center for the past few months. Above photo is the fence around the helicopter landing area.

Oops! the photographer is in this shot, did not like the angle.

That is better, but still a little of the photgrapher in the shot. But then, I AM the MadSnapper

These innocent looking photos do not tell the story of the BATTLE that is going on. It seems the hospital built the center BEFORE getting approval for the trauma center and the one located in St Petersburg, which is an hour by car from us and is the only trauma center for the bay area, is fighting them having it here because it will STEAL their business.

I live 2 miles from this hospital and 45 from the one in St Pete. If I am in a life threatening situation, I much prefer the close to home option. Also there are people stating they do NOT want a helicopter flying over their homes. Of course they fly over the ones in St Pete and across ours when they fly from one of our roads across the whole city and charge FIVE THOUSAND DOLLARS to get over there. Here we could go by ambulance.

25 comments:

What a shame that politics are getting in the way of saving lives. And if the noise of a helicopter that possibly has a critically ill individual aboard is a bother to people then they should stick their fingers in their ears.

We live near our regional airport and Life Flights flies from there. We have no problems with the noise, it has never bothered us.

Isn't it sad when money, politics and personal inconvenience become more important than the opportunity to save someone's life? Very sad.

So many people got mad when our phone service provider started charging and extra 50 cents per month for 911. People didn't want to pay the 50 cents because they never used it. How lucky to never have to use the 911 emergency number! They can have my $6 a year if it saves the life of even one person!

I am constantly amazed at your creativity in finding and snapping pictures. The fence is really quite interesting. Too bad that it is not really the welfare of the people which is of most importance.This is too often the case.

I would think people would be delighted to have a trauma center nearby, even if it did mean helicopters once in a while. But although this center may be controversial, your photos are simply wonderful. The MadSnapper strikes again with great pictures (shadow and all!).

I see that you change your header photo very often. It is always a surprise to what I will see next. I can understand the helicopter issue. But thats what people get when they choose to live where they do. I think it is comforting to know there is help like that when trouble arises. There is a helicopter in my area for the mountainous park behind us. When I see it, hear it, I worry about the one that needs it. However not a bother to me. Politics are huge these days...

The long fence shot is very cool, so is the landing pad. We have a helicopter, Pegasus, that resides in the big University Hospital a half hour away. It comes over here frequently to take patients over there. It lands in fields and even in roads! It tries to get as close to the car wrecks as it can. I do think it has a landing pad here at our close hospital, but I've never seen this pad, only the one at the University, which I snapped a while ago. I LOVE your brilliant flag against the black with your Veteran's Day info. The Madsnapper looks like leather or marble.

Over here we have no say in the way centres are chosen. In a serious emergency anyone will be flown by heli if it's the fastest even if there's a closely hospital .Traffic on the road could impede the patient getting there.What amazes me is people in rural areas have no fast easy access to a trauma unit but they don't make as much noises city folk.

This sounds just like the trouble going on on our neighbor islands..just different. Screwy? Well, hope your doing well. I read a forum where people were actually calling the ambulance to pick them up to save gas (lol)..I learned of someone nearby who did the same? Hmm..wonder if I could get away with a flight (ha ha)Those Woodpeckers below were busy! Gee